Belkin F8U1500 IR Universal Wireless Keyboard

by Belkin

Product Details

Product Manual [1.58mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.8 x 7.8 x 10.5 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00008W81P
• Item model number: F8U1500
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 17, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Using dual-beam infrared to communicate with your PDA wirelessly, the keyboard no longer has to be attached to your PDA. Since the operation of the keyboard is based on the universal infrared technology, the keyboard is compatible with many Pocket PC and Palm devices available in the market. It can also be compatible with future PDA devices through driver updates. The Universal IR Wireless PDA Keyboard may be the last PDA keyboard you need to buy. Runs on a single AAA battery.

Advantages

• Quick-start keyboard application keys
• Generous key spacing and comfortable key travel
• Wireless connectivity
• Compatible with following models:
  1. HP iPAQ 3600/3700/ 3800/3900/5400 series Pocket PCs
  2. Toshiba e310/e570/e740 & 2032SP Series Pocket PCs
  3. Dell Axim X5 Series Pocket PCs
  4. Palm III, IIIx, IIIe, IIIc, V, Vx, VII, VIIx m100, m105, m125, m130, m500, m505, m515, i705, Zire & series handhelds
  5. Sony CLIE S/N/T/SL/SJ/NR& TG 50 series handhelds
  6. Casio E-200 Pocket PC
  7. Mitac 338 Pocket PC
  8. O2 XDA Pocket PC
  9. Asus Zayo A600 Pocket PC
  10. Audiovox 2032SP Pocket PC
  11. Handspring Visor/Deluxe/Edge/Prism/ Platinum/Neo/Pro, & Treo Series Handhelds
  12. IBM WorkPad c3/c50x Series

Product Description

Using dual-beam infrared to communicate with your PDA wirelessly, the keyboard no longer has to be attached to your PDA. Since the operation of the keyboard is based on the universal infrared technology, the keyboard is compatible with many Pocket PC and Palm devices available in the market. It can also be compatible with future PDA devices through driver updates. The Universal IR Wireless PDA Keyboard may be the last PDA keyboard you need to buy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time if your a mobile user, May 29, 2004

By 

Vegan Traveler - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belkin F8U1500 IR Universal Wireless Keyboard (Office Product)

I have been using pda's for 6 years and most people use them because they aren't sitting at a desk.My current one is the Ipaq 2210/2215 (love it). My first pda was the palm vIIx and I had their portable keyboard. The pda had to attach to it, but it always worked - every key! Great for the hotel stay or any desk.
With this Belkin unit you first have to update your driver (go to the Belkin website). You may have to uninstall other keyboard software first. Some PDA's have the ability to turn the screen sideways in Word or Excel which is good. Mine doesn't and the only way to get it to line up is to sit my pda in the FLIMSY holder UPSIDE down. Trying to line up your pda to the infrared using the adjustable metal shield is difficult. Even when I turned my pda upside down half the keys wouldn't work. If you wasted enough time reading this then I may have saved you $$$ and headache. I won't even offer to sell mine.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not quite universal, March 31, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Belkin F8U1500 IR Universal Wireless Keyboard (Office Product)

Before you buy this keyboard, check Belkin's official PDA compatibility list on their website, at http://web.belkin.com/support/download/downloaddetails.asp?download=1234&lang=1. (If link is deleted by Amazon, go to Belkin d.t com and then PDA accessories and then input devices and then wireless keyboard. You should see a link to the compatibility list in small font.) You should heed the list because you'll see a lot of PDAs (esp. newer ones) not on their list. The biggest problem is if you have a Pocket PC with the IR port on the side, and the Pocket PC does not support screen rotation, then you won't be able to use this even if the driver works. So this is pretty stupid as you can imagine. It would have been so easy for them to make the IR port on the keyboard rotatable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This keyboard works great, it has probably been redesigned, April 13, 2005

By 

Christopher Aubeck "MagoniaX" (Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Belkin F8U1500 IR Universal Wireless Keyboard (Office Product)

I had to check the package to make sure we are all talking about the same keyboard here, as I have had a very different experience with this item.

I received it. I opened it. I added a battery, inserted the CD-Rom, installed the drivers and that was it. Works fine.

My PDA is an ipaq 1935, which is not too different from the 1940 mentioned below. The stand has a mirror that rotates on a arm to where the IR is located (on the side on this device). You don't need to lay it flat in landscape mode (which an ipaq 1935 doesn't naturally have) or anything like that. The CD-Rom contains drivers for both 2002 and 2003 operating systems. No other downloads are necessary or encouraged.

Clearly, the design has been improved.

The stand that holds the PDA is not sturdy enough to stay upright in a car crash or on horseback but I see nothing wrong with it. The keyboard may have larger or smaller keys than other designs but there's hardly a learning curve, you get used to it quickly. It allows me to type quickly and accurately.

Anyone using a compatible device that doesn't seem to work should take a good look in the mirror - not at themselves, but at the one on the PDA stand. IR means light, so proper alignment is central to good performance. It swivels, it extends, it just takes a bit of common sense.

So, to sum up: the age of the reviews below indicate the keyboard must have been updated, because all the drivers are there and no strange instructions are provided or needed. It works, it's cheap, it lets you type on your PDA.